Affiliate Marketing- Setting your selling prices
You can expand your affiliate marketing business operation with tie-in products and/or services and use your files to inform old customers of your new products from time to time. When advantageous to do so, place additional classified ads to attract more readers to your new tie-ins.
Optimize your selling price structure as soon as possible after starting in business to maximize your profits. Aim for the highest possible income after expenses have been deducted.
Drop shipping is the foundation upon which many successful mail order affiliate marketing business businesses have been built. What it means is that the products you sell are shipped directly to your customers by the manufacturers or wholesalers. You never handle them.
Although the advantages in favor of drop shipping are of great importance, there are also some disadvantages which you should consider carefully before making a final decision. Perhaps the most important disadvantage is that a number of other mail order companies also have drop ship arrangements with the same suppliers. Another is that retail prices are often established by the supplier and already printed in the sales literature he provides. This can limit your profits. And since others are selling exactly the same merchandise at the same prices your market is diluted. These major disadvantages apply only if you arrange a drop ship agreement with a single supplier and offer only his products to your customers.
The best way to reap the benefits of drop shipping and minimize its adverse effects is simply to make drop ship arrangements with several suppliers. Offer your customers several products of each supplier. You should probably not use the supplier’s catalogs but should develop your own sales literature. However, if sales aids in the form of slips, inserts, folders and leaflets are available from the supplier, you should use these if they describe the products you wish to sell. If only a complete catalog is available, use it as an information source to develop your own sales literature. In this way you do not compete directly with any other drop ship mail order company. Instead, you offer a unique selection of merchandise which your customers can order directly from you.
Those persons who reply to your classified ads are mailed sales affiliate marketing business literature describing all the different products you wish to offer. When an order arrives it will be accompanied by payment in full at the retail price or your established selling price. This payment includes not only the amount you must forward to your suppliers but also your profit. You receive your profit before you pay for ordered merchandise and you pay for merchandise with the customer’s money not your own.
To process an order, you separate the merchandise ordered by the customer into groups to be drop shipped by each different supplier. You then type the customer’s name and address on one of your own shipping labels, typing as many labels as suppliers whose products are listed on the customer’s order.
You then prepare your own order to each supplier, listing the merchandise to be shipped to each customer, inserting the wholesale price.
To your continual success!
Andy Huang
Using Social Networking Websites to Promote Your Blog
Do you know what the main purpose of a social networking website is? If you are an avid internet user, you likely do. Social networking websites are online communities that make it easier for internet users to meet and communicate with each other. If you are an internet user who enjoys using the internet to meet new people, there is a good chance that you already belong to a social networking website. What about an online blog? Do you have one of them? If you do, do you know that you could use your social networking website to promote your blog?
Promote your blog? Why would you want to do that? Honestly, if you have to ask yourself that question you probably shouldn’t even have one. The whole purpose of a blog is to document your thoughts, views, and opinions on a particular topic, issue, or subject. What good will your blog do if no one reads it. In addition to sharing your thoughts with the rest of the world, did you know that you could also make money from your blog? You can signup for affiliate programs or other programs like Google Adsense. If you are using your blog to make money then you will defiantly want to promote it.
When it comes to promoting blogs, there are many blog owners who decide to let the search engine do the work for them. Search engines, such as Google, Yahoo, and MSN use special techniques that reads the content on your website. That content is then used to rank your website with particular keywords. This means that you run a blog on graduating from high school in New York, there is a good chance that your blog will appear in searches done on New York high schools. Although many blogs are successfully ranked in search engines, not all are. That is why you are advised against relying solely on search engines, when it comes to promoting your blog.
As previously mentioned, if you love meeting with or talking to people online, there is a good chance that you belong to a social networking website or community. The individuals that you talk to and that are in your community are likely the individuals that you wish to target. Since most social networking websites work to connect internet users who have the same goals and common interests, there is a good chance that your online friends will enjoy reading your blog. But, before they can read your blog, you have to let them know that it exists.
When it comes to promoting your blog on social networking websites, you have a number of different options. Your first option is to include a link to your blog in your community profile or profile page. This will allow other community members to checkout your blog, only if they wish to do so. The other way is to inform your online friends of your blog through private messages. Once you join a social networking website and create or join a network of friends, you should easily be able to communicate with those friends. Sending each of your friends a private message with information and a link to your blog tends to be more effective than just placing a link in your profile or on your profile page.
Although there is a good chance that you are already a member of a popular social networking website, you may not be. If you are not already a member, but would like to become one, you will need to find a social networking website to join. This can easily be done with a standard internet search. In your search, you will likely find a number of popular network sites, such as MySpace, Facebook, FriendFinder, Yahoo! 360, and Orkut. Before becoming a community member at one of these networking sites, you may want to first examine the website to ensure that it is everything that you want it to be.
As you can easily see, there are a number of different ways that you can go about promoting your blog on online social networking websites. You never known, but, in addition to promoting your blog, you may also make new friends along the way.
To your continual success!
Andy Huang
Google to retire PPC Beta
Google schedule to retire the PPC beta program. Check out the official post in Google’s blog.
As part of Google’s integration of DoubleClick, the DoubleClick Performics Affiliate network is now part of Google. To consolidate our offerings, we will be phasing out the AdWords pay-per-action beta in the last week of August 2008. As an alternative to pay-per-action advertising, Google offers two products that allow you to manage your advertising on a CPA (cost-per-acquisition) basis: the Conversion Optimizer and the Google Affiliate Network.
The Conversion Optimizer is an AdWords bidding feature that lets you specify a maximum CPA goal for ads on the Google search and content networks. It uses historical information about your campaign to automatically adjust your CPC bid for each auction to help you meet your CPA goal. In addition, the Conversion Optimizer is now supported in both the AdWords Editor and the AdWords API. You can learn more on the Conversion Optimizer homepage.
The Google Affiliate Network, previously known as DoubleClick Performics Affiliate, has been in operation since 1998. Through the network, advertisers can open their ads to all publishers in the network, or select specific publishers that match their criteria. You can set a CPA for your entire campaign or establish custom payment schedules for specific publishers — such as a higher CPA for a particularly optimal placement. The Google Affiliate Network is currently a separate product from AdWords and AdSense. As with AdSense, publishers must apply and be accepted into the network.
If you’re interested in learning more about the Google Affiliate Network, please visit our website.
Trade updates
Here is my June option trading result.
I started June with just $629.29 in my account as a test project just to show everyone what option investing can achieve.
With the power of option, I get to capture downside/upside gains with very minimum risk. With the market free falling, I decided to long my put position and take short term profits right when I was able to capture the downside moves of the market.
I have ended the month of June with $4,659.62 additional profit. Almost 800% profit from what I have started. Not a bad month with what you are able to leverage on the downside.
I will keep a tight score card for the month of July since the market has hit official “Bear” market based on the technical indicators covered by major media in the news last week. Keep your eyes open for any rally, as you should short into any strength on retail, banking, financial, real estate, and high tech industry. Long your position on weakness on oil, gas, defense, energy, and farm goods.
Happy hunting everyone!
Andy Huang
Where to see Fireworks ’08: Orange County
July 4th Guide
Here’s where you can see Independence Day fireworks displays in Orange County.
Some are before July 4th and some are after, so be sure to check the dates and times carefully!
Anaheim
Disneyland, 1313 S. Harbor Blvd., will have their nightly fireworks show at 9:25 p.m. For information call (714) 781-4000.
Angel Stadium will have a fireworks display after the game on July 4. The game starts at 6:05 p.m.
Peralta Canyon Park, 115 North Pinney, will be the site for the Canyon Hills Community Council’s 4th of July celebration. Food and game booths will be open from 12:30-8:45 p.m. with entertainment from 6 to 8:50 p.m. A parade starting at Canyon High School will begin at 3:00 p.m. and end at the park. Fireworks are scheduled to begin at 9:00 p.m. A shuttle will be available from the Crossroads Center between 5:30 and 10:30 p.m. Other events that day include a 5 and 10 K run, a pancake breakfast and the Yankee Doodle Dog Show at Canyon High School. For additional information go to www.chccanaheim.com.
Buena Park
Knott’s Berry Farm, 8039 Beach Blvd., will have a Fourth of July Firework Celebration. For more information call (714) 827-1776.
Fullerton
Fullerton High School Stadium, 700 N. Lemon, located at the corner of Lemon and Berkeley, will be the site of the 19th Annual Community Fireworks Show and Festival. Gates will open at 5:00 p.m. for entertainment, games, and food booths. There will also be live music. Fireworks set to music start at 9 p.m. Admission is free. Parking will be free at the Plummer Parking Structure, the Wilshire Parking Structure, the North Justice Center and downtown. Call the Fullerton Museum Center at (714) 738-6545 for additional information.
Huntington Beach
A parade and fireworks show are the highlights of Huntington Beach’s 104th Annual 4th of July Celebration, “United We Stand”. The Pier Festival at Pier Plaza will run July 4th, 5th and 6th from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday. Activities starting early on the 4th include the Kiwanis Pancake Breakfast at Lake Park and the Surf City 5K Run. The 104th parade starts at 10:00 a.m. Fireworks will be shot from the end of the Huntington Beach Pier and will begin at dusk. VIP seats on the pier for the fireworks show are limited. K-EARTH 101 FM will broadcast music for the show. For complete information, visit the website at www.hb4thofjuly.org or call the Fourth of July Hotline at (714) 374-1535.
La Habra
La Habra High School Stadium, 801 Highlander, will be the location for the city’s annual 4th of July Spectacular with games, food, music and activities available. Gates open at 5:00 p.m. with the fireworks beginning at 9:30. No alcohol, no smoking, no pets and no personal fireworks are allowed. Presale ticket price for adults (13 years and older) is $5.00; under 12 years is $3.00. Children under 3 are free. At the door, tickets will be $8.00 and $5.00. Additional seating on the eastside of the softball field will be available on the day of the event at $3.00 for adults and $2.00 for children. Tickets may be purchased at the Community Services Department, 101 West La Habra Blvd. Call (562) 905-9708 for more information.
Los Alamitos
The Joint Forces Training Base Los Alamitos, 11200 Lexington Drive, will be the site of a fireworks show hosted by the cities of Cypress, Los Alamitos and Seal Beach as well as the Rossmoor Community Services District and the Joint Forces Training Base. Enter gate 4 on Lexington Drive south of Katella. Gates open at 4:00 p.m. Please do not bring motor homes. No alcohol, please. Military displays, food, games and entertainment are featured. Lawn chairs and blankets are recommended since seating is not provided. Fireworks begin at 9:00 p.m. This event is sponsored by the Cities of Cypress, Los Alamitos, Seal Beach, the Community Services District of Rossmoor and the Joint Forces Training Base Los Alamitos. Due to heightened security, all adults will be asked to provide one of the following I.D.’s: CA Driver’s License, CA I.D., Military I.D. or Passport. Admission is free. For information call (714) 229-6780 or (562) 430-1073.
Westminster
Westminster Civic Center, , will be the site for the City of Westminster’s 4th of July celebration. Entertainment, games and food will be available after 5 p.m. with a fireworks display at 9 p.m. Admission is free. For more information call the City of Westminster at (714) 895-2860.
Yorba Linda
Veterans’ Park, 4756 Valley View, will be the site for 4th of July activities including food, music and games starting at 4:00 p.m. Bring your lawn chair or blanket to enjoy the fireworks display at 9:00 p.m. For more information call (714) 961-7181.
Central Orange County
Costa Mesa
There will be a private show at Mesa Verde Country Club
Emerald Bay
A private show will be shot off of a barge.
Irvine
Irvine High School, 4321 Walnut, will be the site of the Irvine Police Association’s 24th Annual Concert on the Green and Fireworks Festival. Gates will open at 3:00 p.m. Live bands will play throughout the day. Food vendors and a children’s game area will be available. No dogs, bikes, roller blades or skateboards. Admission on the 4th for Adults (14 years and up) is $12.00. Seniors (60+) and Children 13 and under are $7.00. Family tickets may be purchased, which are good for 2 adults and up to 4 children for $40.00. For tickets and additional information, contact them at ipaevents@irvinepa.org or call (949) 724-0488.
Verizon Wireless Amphitheater, 8808 Irvine Center Drive, will present the Pacific Symphony Orchestra in “American Pie.” Don McLean will appear to perform his hits including American Pie from 1971 and the Southern California Children’s Choir will perform. There will also be patriotic favorites with a fireworks finale. The show starts at 8 p.m. Order tickets from the Pacific Symphony at (714) 755-5799 or online at www.pacificsymphony.org.
Woodbridge Village Association will have a private show.
Laguna Beach
A public show sponsored by the city will be shot from Monument Point at Heisler Park on Cliff Drive with the best viewing from Main Beach. Bring a blanket and a picnic. The show will start after dusk.
Three Arch Bay will have a private show shot from a barge.
Irvine Cove will sponsor a private fireworks display.
Newport Beach
Big Canyon Country Club will have a private show after dusk.
Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort, 1131 Back Bay Drive, presents the 50th Annual Fireworks Extravaganza! The park opens at 7 a.m. The festivities begin at 11:00 a.m. with a volleyball tournament and conclude with a fireworks extravaganza at 9:00 p.m. The holiday activities will include a DJ, hula hoop and limbo contests, and horseshoe tournaments. Some of the games and other activities include a mountain climb, giant slides, a surf simulator, water slides, an obstacle course and bounce houses. Admission is $50 per car (up to 5 wristbands). For more information call (949) 729-3863 or visit www.newportdunes.com.
City of Orange
Fred Kelly Stadium at El Modena High School, 3920 Spring Street, will be the site of the city’s annual 3rd of July celebration, “Orange Salutes the Red, White and Blue,” on Thursday, July 3, from 4:00-9:00 p.m. The Orange Community Master Chorale of Santiago Canyon College will perform. The evening will end with a fireworks display. For information call (714) 744-7278 or log on to www.cityoforange.org.
Santa Ana Heights
Santa Ana Country Club will host a private show.
Tustin
Tustin High School Football Stadium, 1171 El Camino Real, will be the site of the 4th of July celebration in the City of Tustin. Event starts at 6:30 p.m. and features music by the Surftones. Fireworks start at 9:00 p.m. Admission is free. For information call (714) 573-3326.
South Orange County
Aliso Viejo
Grand Park will be the site of the city’s July 4th celebration. There will be live entertainment, bounce houses, face painting, carnival games and an apple pie contest. Food will be available for purchase. There will be a low level fireworks display at dusk. For pre-recorded event information, call (949) 243-7411 or go to www.avca.net.
Dana Point
Fireworks begin at 9:00 p.m. and are shot from a barge outside of the harbor. The fireworks are synchronized to music being simulcast on Radio Station 88.5 KSBR. Tickets are currently on sale for those who would like to watch the fireworks from the sport fishing boat, Sum Fun. The boat boards at 7:00 p.m. and cruises until 10:00 p.m. Only 65 tickets are available at $25 for adults and $10 for 12 and under. The parking lots in the harbor and at Doheny State Beach fill up early. Parking, with a free shuttle to the harbor, will be provided at Dana Hills High School, 33333 Street of the Golden Lantern, from 10:00 a.m. to 10:45 p.m. No cars will be allowed into the harbor area after 7:30 p.m. For cruise tickets or more information, please call (949) 248-3530.
Ladera Ranch
Founders’ Park will be the site of a fireworks display for the community of Ladera Ranch.
Laguna Hills
The Community Center and Sports Complex, 25555 Alicia Parkway, will be the site for this year’s Fourth of July festivities. Gates open at 4:00 p.m. Food, music, activities and carnival rides will be available. Kids up to age 12 can make patriotic crafts and costumes. Supplies will be provided. The Patriotic Costume Contest will take place at 6 p.m. with awards at 7:30 p.m. Bring your blankets and lawn chairs to pick out your spot early for the fireworks display which starts at 9:15 p.m. Admission is free. Call (949) 707-2680 for additional information.
Laguna Niguel
Laguna Niguel Regional Park will be the site for the fireworks display in Laguna Niguel. The YMCA will hold their 30th Annual Run in the Parks, a 5K run, 10K run/walk and children’s races. Call the Y at 495-9622 for information. There will be a pancake breakfast sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce from 7:30-11 a.m. in conjunction with the run. You can participate in a free swim from noon to 5:00 p.m. at the community pool. A concert by Soul Shadows will take place at the Crown Valley Park Amphitheater from 6-8 p.m. At 8:15 join the ¾ mile community walk to the regional park to view the fireworks at 9:00 p.m. Bring a flashlight! For additional information, call (949) 425-5100.
Lake Forest
The Sun and Sail Club will have a private low-level show shot off of a barge on the lake.
Mission Viejo
Mission Viejo Country Club will host a private show.
At noon, the Fourth of July Street Faire and Fireworks Spectacular will start on Olympiad Road between Marguerite Parkway and Melinda Road with food booths, crafts, rides, and games. Fireworks begin at 9:00 p.m. For more information, call (949) 830-7066.
Rancho Santa Margarita
Lago Santa Margarita Beach Club, 21472 Avenida de las Fundadores will be the site for DJ entertainment and games, starting at 2 p.m. on July 4. Only 1000 people will be allowed into the beach club which opens at 6 a.m. Residents must have a ticket for admission before 2 p.m. After 2 p.m., residents will be admitted with their key to the Beach Club until the 1000 person occupant load has been reached. The lake shore will be all open seating for the fireworks show. Get there early to save your space. At 7 p.m. at the lake shore there will be air cannon launches and entertainment by The Bridge at the amphitheater. A low-level fireworks show begins on the lake at 9:00 p.m. For more information, contact the Beach Club at (949) 858-1390.
San Clemente
Fireworks begin at dusk from the end of the San Clemente Pier.
San Juan Capistrano
A 4th of July spectacular will be hosted by the City of San Juan Capistrano at the San Juan Capistrano Sports Park, 25925 Camino del Avion, from 4:00-9:30 p.m. There will be food, live entertainment, exhibits, rides for kids, and family games with fireworks beginning at 9:00 p.m. The Trip will be the Main Stage band from 6-9 p.m. No personal BBQ’s, no pets, and no personal fireworks, please. Free parking. Call (949) 493-5911 for additional information.
Affiliate Marketing – The Art and Marketing
Line art is any one-color line drawing for affiliate affiliate marketing like a pen and ink sketch. Line illustrations can be very effective on your mailing pieces and there are several sources for them. If you have the talent, you can draw illustrations yourself, or have an artistic friend draw them. This way your drawings will be original and distinctive. Another source is your printer. He frequently will have numerous pieces of clip art, or small line drawings, for you to choose from. Clip art is also provided in books which you can buy and use without being concerned with copyright since the price of these books includes royalties and fees. These books can be found at art supply stores.
Yet another source of illustrations and ornaments are sheets of transfer art, available at art supply stores. The ornaments can be positioned and rubbed in place on the mechanical with a burnisher or with a ballpoint pen or spoon handle.
Photographs are quite costly to have printed in your affiliate affiliate marketing advertising. They should be avoided if a line drawing can be used with equal effect.
Using a photograph requires making an extra negative and stripping it into the line negative. It also necessitates that a photographic print be made if you make any modifications on the photograph itself. Since this is frequently necessary, your costs will increase in proportion. If you are incapable of making the necessary modifications on the face of a photograph, you will have to pay for the services of an illustrator or graphic retouch artist. For these reasons photographs should be avoided if it is possible to do without them. Later when your business grows sufficiently the additional costs can be painless absorbed.
If a photograph is required, have the picture taken by an affiliate affiliate marketing professional industrial photographer, he should be experienced in photographing items similar to the one you are selling. If possible, the photographer should do his own developing, enlarging, and printing rather than sending this work out to a commercial laboratory.
When you’re working on your art, you need to make sure it fits with your overall message of your ad. Consider art carefully. It’s not used like it used to be. You want to choose a piece of art that will enhance your marketing plan and actually sell the product or service. If you choose to use art, you want to show exactly what your product looks like or you want to show someone performing the service that you’re offering. This will greatly enhance your chances of making sales and improving your overall bottom line. It also necessitates that a photographic print be made if you make any modifications on the photograph itself. Since this is frequently necessary, your costs will increase in proportion. If you are incapable of making the necessary modifications on the face of a photograph, you will have to pay for the services of an illustrator or graphic retouch artist. Art is an important aspect of an ad, and if you maximize your efforts you’ll be maximizing your profits from the ad.
Andy Huang
